CHANCELLOR Philip Hammond’s day went from bad to worse yesterday after he was challenged by shadow chancellor John McDonnell to a televised debate to discuss numbers.

The Chancellor made a gaffe on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme during which he fell short by a huge £20 billion in estimating the cost of the HS2 rail project featured in the Tory manifesto published today.

Asked about the true bill for the high-speed rail project, Mr Hammond said it would cost “about £32bn.”

Presenter John Humphrys interjected: “£32bn? Not £52bn?”

Mr Hammond replied: “Over, it’s over, I mean, there’s a huge amount of contingency built into these projects.”

Later, while he and PM Theresa May held a press conference solely to denounce the Labour manifesto, she refused to confirm or deny that he would be sacked in the near future — after reports suggested frictions between the Downing Street neighbours over tax and defence policies.

At a campaign event in Lincoln, Mr McDonnell said the pair were “hiding” from the public after “talking rubbish” about the Labour manifesto.

He said: “Philip Hammond, I know, has fallen out with Theresa May and she wouldn’t confirm whether he’d stay on as chancellor if they got re-elected, so he might not be there for long.

“But let me say this — over this next couple of weeks, if he’s still there, I am challenging him to a televised debate.

“He’s talking rubbish about our manifesto and our costings this morning, so I want to challenge him to a televised debate, draw him out.